ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. present — there
  9. mug — a face
  10. season — of the year
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rest — a break
  16. game — a match
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — the time now
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cell — a phone
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. present — a gift
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com